Photo: bahadir-yeniceri/iStock/Getty Images
Buckeye Chuck has spoken — and it looks as if spring is coming quicker than you think.
Buckeye Chuck, Ohio's version of the famous Punxsutawney Phil, emerged from his burrow in Marion on Groundhog Day, Friday February 2, to give his 2024 prediction on whether we'll have a few more weeks of winter or if spring is on the way. For those unfamiliar with the Groundhog Day tradition, the legend goes like this: If Buckeye Chuck emerges from hibernation and sees his shadow at sunrise, Ohioans will have to endure six more weeks of winter.
On Friday, Chuck popped out of his burrow and didn't see a shadow, indicating that an early spring could be on the way, per WLWT. He's not the only rodent to think so, either. Punxsutawney Phil also didn't see a shadow Friday morning.
A native of Marion, Buckeye Chuck has been the state's official groundhog since 1979 after a proclamation from the Ohio legislature. Each year, the beloved rodent emerges from his den to fulfill his civic duty and shed light (or shadow) on the future. He even has a better prediction history than his Pennsylvania cohort, with about three-fourths of Chuck's predictions over the years proving right.